Wagon-body.



W. A. MELROSE & J. M. OVERSHINER.

WAGON BODY.

APPLIGATION FILED 001:.1'1, 1910.

1,066,937., Patented July 8,1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. MELROSE AND JAMES M. OVERSHINER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNORS TO AMERICAN WAGON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIONOF MAINE.

WAGON-BODY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1913.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. MEL- ROSE and JAMES M. Ovnnsmnnn,citizens of the United States, both residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wagon-Bodies, of which the following'is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in wing braces for wagon bodiesand has for its general object to provide a brace which may be used tosupport the wings of a wagon body in such away that the body may quicklyand conveniently be adapted to the nature of load which it is to carry,by adjustment of its various parts to suit the load conditions, wherebythe structure may readily be arranged as a hay rack, an animal crate, ora closed box body for loose grain, in fact is'capable of adjustment soas to render it serviceable for a load of any usual character.

Other and further objects of our invention will readily become apparentto persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the specificationtaken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is an isometricperspective view of the box or body, with the parts in position toconstitute a straight sided closed box or bin; Fig. 2 is a transversesection through one side wall showing the interlock of the foldedslatted side wings and supporting means; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sideelevation of same; Fig. 4 is a broken away detail of part of one of. theside wing braces, shown in section; Fig. 5 is a transverse sectionalview of same, Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a bolt or cam constituting apart of said brace; and Fig. 7 is a similar View of same showing saidbolt viewed at right angles to the former view.

Our present invention is applicable to wagon beds of the type disclosedin our United States Letters Patent No. 917,960, dated April 13th, 1909.

Asrin our former disclosure, the body is provided with a preferablyclosed bottom, 35, which rests upon sills, 36, which extend laterallybeyond the bottom on each side. Vertically fixed side boards, 37, aresecured in position by brackets, 38, and by brace arms, 39, which aresecured at opposite ends to the projecting sills and at suitable pointsto the side boards. The side board 37 terminates in ends, 4O, which arepractically equal to the folded side wings in thickness. It will beobserved that a metal strap 41 is bent as at 42 at right angles and liesalong the top surfaces of sill 36 terminating in a hinge member, as at43. The side boards are secured to. the upright portions of the strap41. The upper terminal of the strap 41 forms a hinge member, as 44, tosimilar strap, 45, that is secured to lower side wings, 46. The lowerside wing is hinged to the strap of thefixed side board 37 by means of aplurality of hinges 44 joining the upper edge of the fixed side boardand the lower edge of the pivotal wing. This is more clearly shown'inFig. 2. The side wings may be inclined at angles to the fixed sidewings. The lowest side wing is supported in adjusted position bytelescoping wing brace, 56. The wing brace is capable of being locked indefinite position by means of a cam 57. The side wing supporting brace56 is composed of two members 58 and 59, each of channel bar or U-shapecross section. The former member is pivoted, as at 43, and the latter to2. lug 60 projecting outwardly from the lower pivoted side wing, and ishinged thereto as at 61. The lower member carries a stirrup 62 upon itsupper end which surrounds the upper member and through which it slides.The upper member carries a stirrup 63 of similar character.Semi-circular notches 64, 65, and 66, are cut into the side walls of thelower member at definite positions, serving as means in connection witha cam carried by the other member for positively holding the saidmembers in position to sustain the lower wings in location in which theyhave been placed. A bolt 67, having a handle 68, passes through thestirrup 63 carried by the upper member. Notches 69 and 70 are cut atdistances apart equal to the distance of the sides of the lower member.Member 59 carries a stirrup 63 in which the cam pin 67 is rotativelysecured by a cotter pin 67. The handle 68 is the means by which the campin 67 is rotatable.

It will be observed that the notches 70 pass substantially half waythrough the pin 67, leaving solid art 57, and when the cam pin 67 is inthe position which is shown in Fig. 4, the part 57 clears the ed es ofthe inwardly projecting sides of Elie members 58 so that the parts maybe longitudinally freely moved with reference to ngidly held againstlongitudinal movement with reference to each other. The projecting stem72 secured to the end of the handle, laterally projecting therefrom,comes into contact with the side surfaces of the members 68 and 59,which thereby limits the extent of movement so that the cam 57 will bein the proper position either to limit free iateral movement of themembers 58 and 59, or to secure them in rigid locked position, as thecase may be.' When the handle is pointing upwardly, the members may bereadily moved, and when it is pointing downwardly, as shown in Figs. 2and 3, the cam 57 engages the openings, 63, 64, and 65, as the case-maybe, and the members are thereby held rigidly together. By this means theside wings of the body may be readily and conveniently adjusted tocertain defined positions as will be clearly understood.

While we have herein described in some detail a particular embodiment ofour invention, it will be obvious that changes might be made in thespecific" construction without departure within the scope of theappended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a wagon body, a bottom, a side board, a sill extending laterallytherebe yond, and a side wing hinged at the upper edge of said sideboard, an adjustable wing brace, comprising two members of substantiallyequal length, and of [Ll-shape cross section, with their side wallsfacing, the

pin 67 enters the ori-- from the invention and members carrying guideson those ends which are adjacent. when the device is in extendedposition, one member provided with notches in its side walls atintervals to hold said wing in adjusted position, and a cam carried bythe other member adapted to enter said notches when turned, and a handlefor turning said cam.

2. In a wagon body, having pivoted side wings, a wing brace comprisingtwo channel iron members with their free edges con fronting andoverlapping adapted and ar-i ranged for longitudinal extension andcontraction, means for guiding said members in their confrontingpositions, one member pivoted to said side wing, and the other member tosaid body, and a cam carried by one member for engagement with theother.

3. In a wagon body having, pivoted side wings, of a wing bracecomprising two members each composed of channel bars arranged with theirside stirrup around each member secured to the end of the other memberto serve as a guide, one of said members having notches at intervals inits sidewalls, a pin. having parts cut away t6 provide a cam, passingthrough the stirrup of the opposite member to engage or clear the saidnotches whenrotated, and a handle secured to said pinlever having alimit stop adapted to engage said members when said cam is in or out ofsaid notches respectively.

In testimony whereof we hereunto set our hands.

WIHJIAM A. MELROSE.

JAMES M. OVERSHINER.

In the presence of- MARY 1B. Air-mm, W.- LINN ALLEN.

walls confronting, a

